Monthly Archives: October 2004

I don't have too much to say about the debate last night. Assuming you're not just a selfish millionaire (and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that), at this point a commoner would have to be insane or imbecilicly gullible to keep voting Bush — the debate consisted of Kerry making reasonable and pointed statements, and Bush countering them with strings of talking points and tired old discredited jokes. Personally I think it's insulting that he would treat the US people as such idiots.

Remember by the way how Bush has been talking about how he has had over ten million Afghani citizens registered to vote… and I've been pointing out that there are under ten million eligible voters in the entire country? Well, the election “happened”, and, as I and others warned, it flopped — the only candidate that didn't boycott the election was CIA approved current dictator Hamid Karzai (more). Bush calling it a “victory for democracy” not withstanding, the whole pack of lies is beginning to collapse.

If you haven't yet watched it, check out Going Upriver:The Long War of John Kerry, a documentary about his Vietnam service. Since a large part of the campaign against him has been painting him as wishy-washy or weak, you may want to watch this to get an idea of what he's really about. You can download it for free here, or you can get the DVD or see it in theatres.

"This is not a struggle of one day or one month or one year or of one war — it is a struggle and an effort and a contribution which we make for the rest of our lives. And though men of small minds and less character may project themselves onto their fellow citizens and suggest that an America that admits its mistake will turn into a craven hollow place, we will continue this struggle, because this country is bigger than they are, and bigger than any of us here." - John Kerry, April 1971

People need to watch this. I know it must be hard to vote against something you've been conditioned your whole life to believe is “your team”, but sometimes that's what you have to do when your democracy starts to stumble off into corrupt territory. Sometimes standing up against your government, first and foremost by voting, is required to save your nation.

First, this article, Jeremy has the biggest cock in Britain is c/o Ronin — it will improve your day. I've got another article to link to as well, Sensual Steel, on “erotic body modification”. I'm quoted, along with others in it. Here's the part with me (hey, it's my diary):

Shannon Larratt, editor and publisher of online body modification publication BMEZINE.com, explains that it has only been recently that cosmetic surgery has been accepted by mainstream society. In the recent past, performing liposuction and breast implants ostracized a doctor, he says.

"We did eventually collectively decide that making someone more beautiful is a form of medicine and allowed it to go public, but moving toward the cultural norm, as cosmetic surgeons tend to do, is a much smaller step than moving toward a personal ideal that is different from the cultural norm," Larratt says.

He adds that he believes cosmetic surgeons will begin performing hard body modification procedures within the next 10 years.

[Regarding doctors who say people shouldn't have atypical mods]

"What kind of sick person tries to deny another person's private happiness, because it's not what they want to do themselves?" Larratt wonders. "If someone cutting their wiener in half makes them happy, let them -- it's not as if they're telling you that you have to do it as well."

That last quote is a reference to Jon Stewart if you didn't catch it — he made a very similar comment, but about gay marriage. Anyway, other than that I'm painting, making supper, and watching Survivor. Thank the god of television (Hermes that is) that I've got a PVR with a dual tuner — Extreme Makeover tonight (8PM EST) stars XxTHREExX, elisa day, Eroxthis, tattooedgirl, and abaddon (seriously).

I just got this email and thought it was one of the odder press inquiries I'd gotten in a while so I'm sharing it hear (partially censored, sorry):

Hi Shannon, I am contacting you from (a major TV music station) and have obtained your details from an article on circlist about the use of the Tara Klamp circumcision device (c1999). At the bottom of the article you claim that have, or at least had access to such units, which as you also state and as I am finding, are hard to get hold of. I am hoping to use a Tara Klamp as a prop in one of our upcoming shows and was wondering if you still had access to the product or might be able to point me in the directing of someone who does?

Regards (name)

So… a TaraKlamp being used as a prop in a music video show? That'll be amusing…

Just did this survey for Ashleigh Danielle; if you're a vegan, feel free to send her a copy as well.

1. What is your definition of vegan?

A vegan is a person who doesn't consume animals or animal byproducts.

2. What impacted you to become vegan? Was it an easy transition?

I became vegan for environmental and health reasons. It was a very easy transition. I think people have trouble with the transition because they just try and cut the meat and dairy and egg out of their diet, instead of just trying to build a complete new diet from scratch using different ingredients. I chose an additive path rather than a subtractive path.

3. How long have you been vegan, at what age did you start?

I have been eating a vegan diet for about two years.

4. Were you Vegetarian before? If so, how long?

The only contact I had with vegetarians was my maternal grandfather. I grew up on a beef, goat, and dairy farm and have eaten meat, cheese, and so on for most of my life. I have at times eaten largely vegan diets in the past due to circumstances (living across the road from a vegan supermarket in Philadelphia for example), but it was never a conscious or complete choice until more recently.

5. Do you feel you get your daily nutrition requirements?

Easily. I eat a complete diet — as I said, it's not as if I just "cut out meat".

6. What type of foods do you eat?

Everything; I eat a wide range of food. Other than the obvious, there's not much that I can't enjoy.

7. Do you cook your own food?

Yes, but I always have.

8. Is animal rights/liberation a big deal to you?

Personally, yes, but in terms of activism, I'm more concerned with larger functional environmental issues than ethical fine details. We can debate endlessly what our moral duties are in terms of treating animals, but the cause-and-effect issues of things like global warming, pollution, microbial extinctions, and so on, are much more clear and less open to personal interpretation.

That said, I think it's clear that whether you attribute this to God or luck of the draw, we humans are the stewards of the planet and its inhabitants. I believe that we are dishonoring those duties by the way we treat animals and the planet in general, and in more grounded terms, I believe we are acting suicidally — in a way that will eventually leave us with a planet that can no longer sustain us.

9. What do your family/friends think of your choices?

They support them but very few personally take the same stance, although many have taken a "first step" in the same general direction. Personally I find running easier than walking, but I understand that most people prefer to learn to walk before learning to run. However, my friends are all extremely supportive and have gone out of their way to accommodate me when they've had to and I should say here how much I appreciate that and thank them for it.

10. How many other vegans do you know personally?

Less than five that I see on any sort of regular basis, and I don't think I have any vegan friends that are as "absolute" about it as I am.

11. Do you find anything negative about being a vegan?

Sometimes if you're at a restaurant it can be hard to find something to order. It's really amazing how many places put cheese or butter in recipes that really don't need it... unless of course they're not very well prepared and they're looking for a cheap way to punch up the flavor (but really, that's just a MSG-style crutch).

12. Do you feel that is a healthier choice?

I think that's fairly obvious — so yes, of course!

13. Do you drink and/or do drugs?

Yes, but I drink much less than I did in the past.

14. Rumor has it kissing a vegan is better than kissing a meat eater, True or False?

I can't see why that would be, except in some silly "hippies are more loving" way?

15. Are your shoes made of leather?

I hope not, but I didn't actually buy them so I don't know!

16. Are you pleased with your commitment to veganism? Or do you feel like therere things you could still be doing better?

I don't know if "pleased with myself" is the right way of putting it. I know it's the right decision. But I'm not more "pleased" with my veganism than I am pleased with the fact that I don't throw garbage out my car window... It's the right way to live, nothing more, nothing less.

In terms of doing better, I don't think I could be any more "hardcore" or anything. Personally I don't think it's a sliding scale — you're either eating a vegan diet or you're not. And I'm eating a vegan diet. There are certainly other things in the same vein that I could improve upon (such as my cars!), but my diet is quite good.

17. How do you feel about fast food chains? Do you ever eat at any?

On my own I don't eat fast food or order food or go out to eat, other than the occasional sushi (yes, I can make it myself as well, I know). I go out with friends regularly enough though, and when I do I order vegan items. I don't have a problem with the restaurants — they're responding to market demands. By ordering vegan items, their menu slowly becomes more responsible.

18. Do people ever get offended and/or defensive about your veganism?

Sure, but that's their problem, not mine. When I was in school, occasionally people got offended by my high grades. Again: their problem for having bad grades, not my problem for having high grades. I can't think of any reasonable person having a problem with someone else eating a vegan diet — it's about the most harmless thing a person can do!

19. Do you take a multi-vitamin?

Not regularly, but yes, as well as a number of enriched products and things like nutritional yeasts. I also eat dulse and sea vegetables and other sources of vitamins and nutrients. I have a more healthy and more "complete" diet than the average meat eater.

20. Do you feel that meat-eaters are obnoxious towards veganism?

Yes, but when you step back and look at how they treat themselves, I think it's pretty clear that they're not thinking rationally about either their own survival and health or the planet's — so really, I don't take their ignorance that seriously, and just do my best to give them resources to inform themselves so maybe they eventually realize their errors. Given that it took me 28 years to figure it out, I don't see how I can fault anyone else for being equally lethargic in their reasoning.

I've just posted an experience update with about 120 new stories. Thanks to all the writers and reviewers, and to sittingtarget for being the cover model. There will be another experience update tomorrow when I had a whole bunch of new stories to BME/extreme.

Other than that, I wanted to mention one thing (well, maybe two) I forgot to point out on the Cheney/Edwards debate last night. Remember when Cheney said that if you wanted to find out the “truth” about his business dealings and Republican corruption you could go visit factcheck.com? Well, go visit it. The question is, did Cheney make a mistake with the URL or is this a big final fuck-you to Bush (before he has his last heart attack) for raping his lesbian daughter's civil rights?

Oh yeah, and you know how he said that the debate last night was the first time he'd even been in the same room as “Senator Gone”? Oops, turns out he was lying (more, more)… again. It's beginning to seem like if you want to a good gauge on the truth, just take what Bush and Cheney say and flip it around so it's the exact opposite.

Again I say: Are you comfortable electing politicians who habitually lie to the American public?

Update/Correction: I'm being told that during the debate, factcheck.com was just some spamvertising site (like many dead domains). However, Name Administration Inc is no fan of Bush's and upon seeing their bandwidth spike, started redirecting to Soros's site… It really goes to show you want a crazy battle this is and how any mistake is instantly exploited!

Other than that I'm off to go interview an online friend that lives in an African nation he's asked me not to name (pictured above) about his heavy mod/play activities (unfortunately not in person). Anyway, I'm trying to get this new book finished over the winter so I wanted to get a little feedback. Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about… your mother. Sorry, wrong question, go back to your electric sheep.

In the attached forum, please let me know all the things you didn't like about the ModCon book. The forum allows anonymous posting if you don't feel comfortable slagging me with your name attached (j/k). But I'd appreciate the feedback so I don't make the same mistakes in the next book.